Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword (PC DVD)

Civilization has been the PC's premier turn-based strategy series now for over a decade, offering you near infinite freedom to create and nurture your own society and conquer the world through either military might or cultural influence. For many though it's always been overly tempting to rely on warfare not words, so this expansion pack has been created specifically to encourage more peaceful means of domination. It also focuses on expanding the options for playing the game in the time period after the invention of gunpowder. This means it is now possible to achieve a diplomatic victory much earlier in the game, while at the same time making space victories more difficult because of the more complex requirements.

In keeping with the modern theme the concept of global corporations is also introduced into the gameplay, which works similarly to Civilization IV's use of religion, except this time your people spreads economic benefits in exchange for specific resources. Other tweaks include expanded espionage options to stir up an enemy's population, and SimCity style random disasters. That's all on top of the expected addition of new civilisations (ten new ones, from the Dutch and Portuguese to the Babylonians and Mayans), six new leaders (including Abraham Lincoln, Boudica and Charles de Gaulle) and eleven new historical scenarios. In this sense the expansion has the best of both worlds, with all the expected new content and gameplay options but also a fundamental change to the way you play, and win, the game.
Harrison Dent